Hurt by deep budget cuts, Illinois’ child welfare agency began a round of layoffs Friday that will cut hundreds of jobs and “greatly reduce” its efforts to prevent neglect and abuse.

The Department of Children and Family Services must find ways to absorb nearly $86 billion in budget cuts, a reduction of 6.8 percent.

Spokesman Kendall Marlowe said the agency will do that partly by cutting 375 jobs. In addition, 250 administrative positions are being cut so that the same number of front-line caseworkers can be added, he said.

That will require slashing most of the agency’s work that isn’t required by law or court order _ primarily prevention efforts and services to troubled families where safety concerns aren’t severe enough to warrant removing a child.

“We’re having to greatly reduce the scope of those,” Marlowe told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register…